Dean Adapting to New Status as an Underdog

Having tumbled from his perch as the Democratic presidential favorite, former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean is adjusting to life near the back of the pack, firing relentlessly at the new frontrunner and appearing to relish being out of the line of attack for the first time in months.

“I’ve noticed that the media attention has shifted to someone else, where it’s well-deserved,” the grinning candidate told supporters at a Super Bowl-themed fundraiser in Roseville, Mich., on Sunday.

“It’s a little fun to be on the media’s side for a change.”

But even as he claims to feel relief at having recaptured his underdog status, Dean appears pensive and humbled at times. He has acknowledged responsibility for depleting most of his $41-million war chest in an effort to secure the Democratic nomination in Iowa and New Hampshire, a decision that left his candidacy weakened at the very time he needs every dollar.

“It was my fault,” he said on NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. “We knew what we were doing, we took a gamble, and it didn’t pay off.”

Lately, Dean’s confident manner has been shadowed by the possibility that he may have to abandon his candidacy if he is not able to gain traction soon.

“I’m not going to do anything that’s going to harm the Democratic Party if we get blown out again and again and again,” he said on “Meet the Press.”

“You know, if somebody else gets more delegates and they clinch it, of course, I’m not going to go all the way to the convention just to prove a point. But I’m going to be in this race as long as I think I can win.”

It’s unfamiliar terrain for Dean, who spent fall and winter thronged by thousands of cheering supporters around the country. Today, when seven states hold presidential contests, Dean hopes to garner at least 15% of the vote in each, the threshold for winning delegates. In the long run, he’s pinning his hopes on winning the Feb. 17 primary in Wisconsin.

In Milwaukee on Sunday, Dean received a civil but lukewarm welcome from Mayor Marvin Pratt, who said he was staying out of the race. Later, Dean spoke at the Holy Redeemer Church of God in Christ, a large African American church. The churchgoers applauded politely for Dean, who gave a truncated version of his standard speech and then attempted to infuse religion into his address.

“We know the power in this country is in the hands of God,” said the candidate, who rarely talks about faith. “We know the real power in this country is in the power of Jesus.”

A few murmurs of assent rose from the pews. Dean soon fell back on his standard lines.

“The truth is, the power to change your country is in your hands, not mine,” he said.

Dean has a wry sense of humor about his changed circumstances. On Saturday, his 23rd wedding anniversary, he joked with reporters that his wife gave him “150 delegates.”

“That ought to help,” he said with a chuckle.

Some of Dean’s supporters already sound consoling, trying to put a positive spin on what he has accomplished.

Dean still encounters flickers of the old enthusiasm that propelled his candidacy last year.

In Seattle on Saturday, more than 2,000 people turned up to hear Dean speak at a town hall meeting, creating a line that wrapped around the block.

The same day, about 1,000 people gathered on the worn grass field of a park in Tucson to cheer him on.

“I scream, you scream, we all scream for Howard Dean,” read one large sign, an embrace of Dean’s now-infamous speech after the Iowa caucuses.

Many say they’re standing by him, no matter how far he has fallen.

“He’s still the most common-sense, straightforward candidate,” said Jennifer St. Clair, a marketing copywriter, after attending a town hall meeting in St. Louis on Friday.

“I really like him and Edwards and Kerry. I think they’re all very similar in their positions,” St. Clair added. “But you’ve got to credit Howard Dean for energizing the base -- the apathetic people who just lost interest and felt hopeless.”

And the candidate is picking up a few new supporters along the way. After hearing him speak in Roseville, Mich., on Sunday, Bonnie and David Milam said they were inclined to vote for Dean over Sen. John Edwards, their other favorite.

“I know all the momentum has kind of evaporated for him, but I thought he spoke really well and confronted the issues,” said David Milam, a Presbyterian minister.

His wife agreed, saying she has been irritated by the rush to coronate Kerry the likely Democratic nominee.

“Just because of his win in Iowa particularly, all of sudden, he was the candidate,” said Bonnie Milam, a public school teacher. “I was like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let’s let the process work.’ ”